Friday, February 22, 2013

Have you ever found yourself sat in your favorite neighborhood izakaya, sippin' on sake and thought "this sake is missing something.... something fishy...."?

During the freeze of a Japanese winter no other drink is as satisfying as a steaming hot cup of Sake. The warmth of the drink combined with the alcoholic burn creates a furnace in the belly of the drinker that can thaw the iciest of toes.

Those seeking an additional surge of flavor may opt for a Hire-zake. Hira-zake is made by steeping dried, char-grilled fugu fins in the hot glass of sake. You may be familiar with the fugu fish as it is a Japanese delicacy famed for its toxicity; however, not to be worried, the fins contain no poison.

The addition of the charred fins give the sake an excellent charcoal taste along with a slight fishy essence. The flavor combination is delicious and intoxicating and something not to be missed on a winter visit to Japan!